sohmetzer



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

L@ SCHMBTZER.

GARMAGB TOP.

Patented Dec.` 27,1881.

WITNESSES I 0 l r. INVENT R/b BY ATTORNEY N4 PETERS. mamuxhpgnphur. washmgwn. Dy C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L.l SGHMETZER.

CARRIAGE TOP. No. 251,472. A Patented Dec.. 27,1881.

WITNBSSES; wir@ fi 1 ATTORNEY .UNrTen STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS SOHMTZER, OF ROTHENBURG-ON-THE-TAIIBER, BriVAItIA, GERMANY.

CARRIAGE-TOP.

vSPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 251,472, dated December 2'?, 1881. Application filed October 22, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUlS SCHMETZER, residin g'at the city of Rot-henburg-on-the-Tauber, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire, have invented Improvements in Carriage-Tops, of which the following is a specitcation.

The tops of childrens and other carriages are generally supported in their raised state by means of straps or cords or by means of hinged brace-rods. The straps are objectionable in childrens carriages, as they are in the way and inconvenient in use, while the hinged braces not only get soon worn and shaky by use, but can only supportthe top in a single fixed position.

This invention relates to an improved carriagetop which can be locked at any suitable position, and which is adapted equally well for childrens and large carriages.

The invention consists of a carriage-top the yokes ot' which are pivoted to side plates of the carriage-body and secured by an adjustable locking device, which is arranged in connection with theends ofthe front yoke, so as toretain the top in any desired position. The front yoke may also be arranged with springs at. the ends, by which the top is automatically folded when the locking device is released.

In the accompanyingdrawings,Figure l represents a side View ot' a childs carriage with my improved top. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail side views of the locking and adjusting mechanisms of the top. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a vertical transverse section of` Fig. 2 and an end view of Fig. 3; and Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are side views of different modifications of the locking device of the top.

Similar letters of rcferenceindicate the same parts.

In the accompanying drawings, ct a represent the supporting-yokes, which, together with the cover b, to which they are attached, form the top of the carriage. vThe yokes a a are pivoted to side plates, d, which are permanentlysecured by means of screws or otherwise to the body of the carriage.

To the front yoke, a', is applied my improved locking and adjusting mechanism by which the top ot the. carriage is to be retained in a raised 5o or lowered or intermediate position.

In Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 a more complicated form of locking device is shown, while in Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 the simpler forms of the same are shown. In Figs. 7 and 9 the front yoke, a', is provided at both ends with an extensiomf, ot' less thickness, so that it has a certain spring action'. A bead, t', projects'from the extension f toward the plate d, so as to engage into indentations or holes o of the same, which holes are arranged concentrically to the pivot of the yoke a.

Any desired number ot' holes may be arranged, so that the top can be retained at any desired position, according to the angle at which the front yoke, a', is-locked. As the cover b connects the front yoke, ce', with the remaining yokes, a, the entire top is thus -securely held in a position corresponding to that of the front yoke.

In Figs. 6 and 8 the spring-tensionfof the front yoke, a', carries a small anti-friction roller, z', which sets into indentations 0 of' the plate d in the same manner as the bead t' into those shown in Figs. 7 and 9.

. When it is desired to arrange the top so that it may be lowered automatically whenever the front yoke is released from its locking device, a spiral spring, g, is applied with its inner end to the pivot h ot' the front yoke, ct, and with its outer end to a shoulder of the same, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The spring g imparts thereby to the yokes a tendency to move in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2 whenever the locking device is released. The ends of the front yoke, c', are enlarged and made of disk shape, the circumfereuces of the disks being toothed so'as to form a kind of ratchet, Z,into which aspring-pawl`,`l, is thrown. By this device the front yoke, a', and consequently the entire t-op, may he retained at any desired position, the ratchet and pawl forming the equivalents of the locking devices shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9.

In place of' applying the ends ofthe yokes a a to the fixed side plate, d, of the carriage, they may also be applied to an intermediate and oscillating plate, m, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

`'Iheanxiliary oscillating pla-tem turns around the pivot u, (shown in Fig. 3,) andv is retained by a double spring pawl, p, which passes through slots of the side plate, d, and engages one or more recesses ofthe front yoke, a', and of the plate m, as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

The plate m is acted upon by a strong bandspringur, (shown in Fig. 3,) orby a spiral spring, s, applied to the pivot n and the plate m, as shown in Fig. l, by which the oscillating plate m is moved in the direction of the arrow whenever it is desired to lower the top ot' the carriage by releasing thelocking part 19. The last arrangement has the advantage that the yokes of the top can be folded closer together and nearer to the body ofthe carriage, so as not to be in the Way and exposed to injury in shipping the carriage.

What is claimed as the invention is- 1. In a carriage-top, the front yoke provid ed with flexible extensions, in combination with rollers attached thereto and plates provided with holes adapted to receive and hold thc rollers, substantially as described.

2. The cover and yokes a, in combination With the front yoke, a', ratchets and springpawls, and coil-springs surrounding the pivots that connectthe yokes and side plates together, substantially as described.

3. The combination of xed side plates, the intermediate plates,m,theyokes attached thereto, and the coil-springs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

LOUIS SGHMETZER.

itnessesz GAR-L FEHLERT, CARL NEUER. 

